How to Clean Tiled Floors

Tiled floors can be a doddle to clean and maintain. Slate flagstones, granite, and ceramic tiles are generally sealed to protect them from water and stains. Quarry stone is fine as it is, although you may need to buy a specialist stain remover, which you can find at specialist tile shops.

To clean a tiled floor, follow these steps:

Sweep or vacuum.

Wash with mild detergent, diluted as instructed on the label.

In a small room such as a bathroom, it can be as quick to get down on the floor and use cleaning rags. But if you’d rather stay upright, a cloth-strips mop is better than a sponge one. The latter seems to encourage water to collect in the grouting.

Rinse with water.

Air-dry, keeping pets and people out.

Tile, especially ceramic tile, is very slippery when wet. Take care as you clean, and if you can’t be absolutely certain that no one will nip into the room in the next 30 minutes, dry the floor with an old towel.

Get at dirty grouting when it needs it with diluted bleach (10 parts water to one part bleach is a safe, frequently recommended dilution). You can go up to 1 part bleach to 3 parts water, but only if you take good care to protect yourself from splashes and wear gloves. For speed, pour the recommended diluted solution into an empty squirt bottle then pipe the solution along the grout line. Rinse thoroughly.